After tomatoes and bananas, now get ready to pay more for apples

Apples are set to become costlier as torrential rains, flooding, and landslides have impacted apple-growing areas in Himachal Pradesh. As per a TOI report, consumers may experience a 20-25 per cent increase in apple prices compared to last year due to supply disruptions caused by the adverse weather conditions.

With key apple-bearing belts affected, regions like Shimla, Kullu-Manali, and Jammu & Kashmir are facing challenges in transporting their produce to markets. Landslides have uprooted trees and damaged fruits, leading to reduced supply and increased prices. Farmers are adapting by reducing package sizes and delivering apples as soon as they are harvested. The overall impact on supply is expected to continue, driving up apple costs for consumers.

Apple prices have already risen in the last few week from nearly Rs 120 per kilogram to nearly Rs 200 per kg.


"Many trees have been uprooted and fruits have been damaged as a result of landslides in Himachal Pradesh." numerous tempos transporting apples have become stranded on route, causing numerous fruits to decay," a city apple distributor told TOI.

Wholesale dealers who buy apples from farmers in Himachal said transportation costs had skyrocketed. "Business is slow because few people buy apples in large quantities." "Due to road closures and bad weather conditions in Himachal Pradesh, transportation costs have increased by Rs 20-25 per box," a Supplier told TOI.

A crate holding around 25-26 kg of Shimla apples, which used to sell for Rs 2,800 last year, now sells for Rs3,500 in the wholesale market.

Just ahead of the festive season, banana prices have also soared due to the fruit's scarcity. The prices of bananas have alraedy risen to Rs 100 per kg. The surge in its price is attributed to fluctuations in supply and demand.

As festivities such as Onam, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Durga Puja loom ahead, the prices of bananas are anticipated to rise higher.